New Novi Restaurant: The Big Salad

Michigan native John Bornoty does not like having to compromise healthy food for speedy service, so he decided to start his own restaurant that would combine the two.

"I'm on the go all the time and I like to eat healthy, and there are no options for people who want to eat healthy that are on the go. So the whole concept evolved basically from that," he said.

Bornoty created The Big Salad restaurant. As the name gives away, The Big Salad is a speciality salad restaurant where salads are made for the customer.

Novi customers will be able to enjoy The Big Salad by the end of September, when a location opens in next door to

The Big Salad offers more than 28 vegetable topping choices, 30 dressings, eight meat and seafood topping choices and eight dry topping choices. The restaurant also has 16 varieties of soups and five healthy sandwiches.

"We are excited to come to Novi, especially to the Town Center," Bornoty said. "With all the redevelopments in there, they have done just a fantastic job. We're very excited to come there and are ready to open up."

What's in a Name

Bornoty said he gets asked all the time if name of the restaurant is a Seinfield reference, but it's not.

"I didn't even know what people were talking about when they would mention it to me," he said.

So where did the name come from? Bornoty said he wanted a direct name and was brainstorming with his wife. 

"What does everyone want? They just want a big salad," they said, and the name stuck.

A Growing Business

Bornoty opened the first Big Salad location in in 2008, where he lives. The restaurant also has locations in and Troy, and Bornoty said they are looking to expand to Ann Arbor, Livonia, Canton, Bloomfield Hills and Rochester.

Bornoty hapes to open 200 locations within the next 10 years.

He said Novi will be the main restaurant in Southeast Michigan because it is in the middle of big cities like Troy, Detroit, Ann Arbor and Lansing.

"Novi really is a great epicenter to Michigan," he said.  "It is center to where our growth is, we wanted to make it a corporate store."

The Novi store will be the main training store for franchisees and managers.

Bornoty said he has already hired the Novi store managers, and he is looking to hire 15-20 staff members. Those interested can apply online on the careers section of the restaurant's website.